World Habitat Day 2015: Public Spaces for AllUnited Nations Headquarters, New York5 October 2015

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), the Consortium for Sustainable Urbanization, the American Institute Architects New York, UN Women, the Institute of Global Homelessness, the United Cities and Local Governments and the Permanent Mission of Grenada to the United Nations joined to host a high-level discussion, which covered key developments in the area of public space design. In run-up to the HABITAT III Conference, and following the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals, innovative solutions are necessary in an era of ever increasing urbanization.

In celebration of World Habitat Day 2015, cities around the world organized events addressing Public Spaces for All and exploring it through the lens of the Sustainable Development Goal 11 “Make Cities and Human Settlements, Safe, Resilient and Sustainable” and Target 7 on Public Spaces. The event allowed:

To show the relationship between public space design and sustainable urbanization

To propose innovations and best practices in the area of public space design

To highlight the need for policies as well as innovative, replicable solutions, ideas, concepts, and approaches that can be used in different contexts for public space design; and,

To identify design ideas, concepts and approaches that are replicable.

The event in New York brought together high-level experts and representatives from national and local governments, non-governmental organizations, institutes, foundations and industry, who presented case studies from around the world on public spaces.